It's been said the only people who can change the world are those who want to. Well, we want to. That's why we are exploring more fuel-efficient options and technologies with our vehicles. But we haven't stopped there. We want to do more — a lot more.

Over the next few years, we will be investing 40 million dollars into initiatives that will help reduce up to 8 million metric tons² of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. That's like planting a forest the size of Yellowstone³. And what do we call this initiative? We call it a start.

We wanted to do our part to help the environment. And help local communities too. We're pleased to say we're doing both. Every carbon-reducing project we invest in will be based in the United States, and each will be focused in one of three areas: renewable energy, energy efficiency programs and planting trees.

Progress is already underway, but there's a lot more to come. We estimate it will take up to five years to achieve our initial goal, and we are working to find the right projects to help us do it. Ones that will make a lasting difference in communities around the country.

Check out the What We're Doing tab to learn more about specific programs we're investing in, get your questions about the initiative answered and learn ways in which you can join us and how you can reduce your carbon footprint too. Also, visit Bonneville Environmental Foundation (b-e-f.org), the nonprofit organization helping with our investments. Once you learn more about their mission, you'll get a great sense of the good we can all do.

After all, we haven't inherited this planet from our parents — we're borrowing it from our children.